1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to sampling and more particularly to aerosol sampling.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,187 issued Feb. 10, 2004 to Donald A. Masquelier for “An Aerosol Sampling System” provides the following state of technology information, “As the threat of biological weapons (BW) increases, both in military theaters and civilian populations, the need for complete systems for the rapid detection and analysis of pathogenic organisms becomes increasingly important. The first step in any system for detection and characterization of biological agents is a sample collector. This can take on the simple form of a cotton swab for solid surfaces, or as in the case of airborne pathogens, an aerosol sample collector is used to collect and concentrate airborne particulate into a liquid sample volume for subsequent preparation and analysis. An aerosol sampler is the most appropriate for continuous monitoring scenarios, where repeated swabbing of settled particles is impractical. Aerosol sampling systems also have use in medical facilities and research and development facilities. There are a variety of medical applications where monitoring for biological pathogens would be useful. A good example of this is monitoring in hospitals and clinics for highly infectious agents such as tuberculosis or nosocomial diseases that can threaten the well being of patients and health care professionals. Aerosol sampling systems also have use in environmental monitoring, that is any application that would benefit from environmental monitoring of biological species. One example is continuous aerosol monitoring of bacterial and other pathogens that could affect the health of livestock (such as the recent hoof and mouth disease outbreak).”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,034 issued Feb. 18, 2005 to Donald A. Masquelier et al for a “High Air Volume to Low Liquid Volume Aerosol Collector” provides the following state of technology information, “The first step in any system for detection and characterization of biological agents is a sample collector. This can take on the simple form of a cotton swab for solid surfaces, or as in the case of airborne pathogens, an aerosol sample collector is used to collect and concentrate airborne particulate into a liquid sample volume for subsequent preparation and analysis. An aerosol sampler is the most appropriate for continuous monitoring scenarios, where repeated swabbing of settled particles is impractical. Most commercial samplers now available for field use are large, power consuming, and produce collected sample into large volumes of liquid, typically >10 mL. Emerging miniature detection systems analyze much smaller sample volumes, typically <250 μL. When using the presently available air samplers, the sample volume must be ‘sub-sampled,’ effectively diluting the sample, resulting in a loss of sensitivity of detection. Thus, there is a need for a collector which will collect particulate at a high airflow and yet utilize a low liquid volume.”